Keywords
sequencing, urban water resources planning, sustainability, uncertainty, robustness
Start Date
1-7-2012 12:00 AM
Abstract
Planning sustainable urban water supplies requires the use of a longtermplanning horizon and multiple criteria for assessment, all of which have inherentuncertainties and difficulties. This paper presents the application of an optimizationframework incorporating a post-optimization robustness assessment to the case studyof the southern Adelaide water supply system to determine its effectiveness. Variouswater supply alternatives (i.e. reservoirs, desalination plant, rainwater tank, and waterreuse schemes) are considered. Additionally, a 90 year planning horizon and twocompeting sustainability objectives, including the minimization of economic cost andgreenhouse gas emissions, are adopted. In order to determined the robustness of theoptimal solutions in the face of a variety of potential future conditions, the sensitivity ofthe costs and greenhouse gas emissions of the optimal supply sequences is assessedunder a range of water supply, population growth and climate change scenarios. Theresults obtained indicate that there are significant trade-offs between average cost andGHG emissions, but that these trade-offs are relatively robust in terms of GHGemissions under a range of future scenarios. However, there was significant variationin the robustness of the economic costs of the solutions.
Optimal Sequencing of Water Supply Options at the Regional Scale Incorporating Sustainability, Uncertainty and Robustness
Planning sustainable urban water supplies requires the use of a longtermplanning horizon and multiple criteria for assessment, all of which have inherentuncertainties and difficulties. This paper presents the application of an optimizationframework incorporating a post-optimization robustness assessment to the case studyof the southern Adelaide water supply system to determine its effectiveness. Variouswater supply alternatives (i.e. reservoirs, desalination plant, rainwater tank, and waterreuse schemes) are considered. Additionally, a 90 year planning horizon and twocompeting sustainability objectives, including the minimization of economic cost andgreenhouse gas emissions, are adopted. In order to determined the robustness of theoptimal solutions in the face of a variety of potential future conditions, the sensitivity ofthe costs and greenhouse gas emissions of the optimal supply sequences is assessedunder a range of water supply, population growth and climate change scenarios. Theresults obtained indicate that there are significant trade-offs between average cost andGHG emissions, but that these trade-offs are relatively robust in terms of GHGemissions under a range of future scenarios. However, there was significant variationin the robustness of the economic costs of the solutions.
